NAICS 56

Administrative and Support Services in Appleton, WI

Metro Market Score 68.5 (Difficult), ranked #238 of 267 metros. 374 establishments, 7,296 jobs.

Metro Market Score 68.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national administrative and support services average.

Market conditions for administrative and support services in Appleton are tougher than average. The 68.5 market score reflects a combination of high labor costs, slowing employment, and an already crowded field. Rank: #238 of 267 metros.

Industry Concentration

78.7

LQ: 0.99

Rank #210 of 267 metros

Wage Competitiveness

64.0

$50,838 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 24.3

Employment growth index

Rank #203 of 267 metros

Wage Pressure

50.8

YoY wage change index

374 Administrative and Support Services Firms in Appleton

374

Establishments

+8.1% YoY

7,296

Total Employment

-6.2% YoY

$50,838

Average Annual Wage

-0.6% YoY

0.99

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Wisconsin

#10 of 10

administrative and support services metros in state

Wisconsin state rank

#5 of 51

for administrative and support services entry risk

vs State Median

+24.4

worse than median (44.2)

Appleton vs Wisconsin Statewide

How this metro's administrative and support services market compares to Wisconsin overall. The state ranks #5/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Appleton	WI Statewide
Overall Score	68.5 Difficult	25.2 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#238 of 267 metros	#5 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Appleton

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 27.7 Accommodation and Food Services 32.0 Retail Trade 39.0 Finance and Insurance 65.1 Construction 69.6

Administrative and Support Services in Other Wisconsin Metros

Wausau 29.2 #15/267 Fond du Lac 33.5 #30/267 Sheboygan 36.1 #39/267 Eau Claire 39.8 #54/267 Oshkosh-Neenah 43.1 #72/267 Janesville-Beloit 44.2 #79/267 Kenosha 46.4 #94/267 Milwaukee-Waukesha 54.5 #153/267 Racine-Mount Pleasant 59.0 #184/267

Administrative and Support Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Appleton's 68.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Kennewick-Richland, WA 68.4 #237/267 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA 68.8 #239/267 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 68.3 #236/267 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 68.0 #235/267 Manchester-Nashua, NH 69.2 #240/267 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA 69.2 #241/267 Gainesville, GA 69.3 #242/267 Abilene, TX 67.7 #234/267 Homosassa Springs, FL 69.4 #243/267 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 69.4 #244/267

Administrative and Support Services in States Bordering Wisconsin

State-level entry risk for administrative and support services in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Iowa 22.1 #3/51 Michigan 33.1 #13/51 Minnesota 34.2 #15/51 Illinois 50.5 #46/51

Browse Administrative and Support Services in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for administrative and support services across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Appleton's administrative and support services sector, the employment growth component (75.7) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Appleton, WI MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment